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The three incumbents seeking re-election to Assembly seats representing Ozaukee County who declined to participate in a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Ozaukee County have announced they will take part in a forum sponsored by Concordia University Wisconsin’s Student Government Association.

All the candidates seeking the Assembly’s 23rd, 24th and 60th district seats have been invited to the forum, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25 at the Mequon campus.

Port Washington aldermen on Tuesday said they’re willing to use eminent domain to accommodate flood mitigation measures on the city’s west side, but stressed that they will not use condemnation to buy the affected properties, only to obtain easement needed for the project.

“We need to let people know we need to make this work and we’re willing to use eminent domain to make it work,” Ald. Mike Gasper said. “It’s not fair to everyone to let one person hold this project up.”

The far east end of Main Street in downtown Port Washington could get a facelift soon, courtesy of Port Main Street Inc.

The downtown organization’s Design Committee has proposed creating a gathering area there, complete with a fire pit, seating and landscaping to provide shelter from the stiff lake breezes and hot summer sun.

The concept received approval last week from the city’s Board of Public Works, which agreed to allow the development in the right of way, and will be reviewed Thursday, Oct. 18, by the Design Review Board and Plan Commission.

Determined to resolve flooding on the city’s west side, the Port Washington Board of Public Works on Tuesday backed a plan to acquire easements from property owners and buy houses — and use eminent domain to purchase properties from unwilling sellers if necessary — to build a new stormwater management system.

Port Washington High School has long had plenty of clubs that involve students in their school and community, but never one like the Pirate Treasure Program.

Launched last week, the initiative brought together more than 60 students to form a group that is more of a charity than a school club, one intended to instill in its members the ethic of giving and empower them to decide how thousands of dollars are used to benefit their community.

A Cedarburg restaurant owner who in the past has been accused of drugging, assaulting and taking nude photos of women was charged Monday with allegedly administering a dangerous or stupefying drug to a woman in 2014.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Ozaukee County Circuit Court:

A woman told police she and Jacob Banas, 38, knew each other from “various committees” they were both on.

On April 8, 2014, the woman and a female friend went to Banas’ restaurant, the August Weber Haus, and he bought the women shots of liquor.

A developer known for building “green” homes in tidy neighborhoods has proposed a subdivision of 26 small, highly efficient houses on six acres on Port Washington’s near south side.

A concept plan presented by Port resident Mike Speas, owner of Port Green Homes, to create what he called a “small, somewhat intimate subdivision with smaller homes” on land between South Division and South Wisconsin streets was recommended by the city’s Design Review Board Wednesday.

Speas said he plans to purchase the land, which is bisected by Western Avenue, from We Energies in January.

About 30 people were on hand last week for the dedication and ribbon cutting of two bike racks at Trail Bridge Park to honor Chris Kegel, a businessman, bicycling enthusiast and former Ozaukee County supervisor who was instrumental in development of the bike trail that winds its way through the length of the county.

Kegel, who died in February 2017 at the age of 63, was owner of retailer Wheel and Sprocket.